Faced with gale of defections of chieftains of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after his emergence as candidate of the party, Dino Melaye seems undaunted in his quest to succeed Yahaya Bello as governor of Kogi State.
Pundits wrote him off as a non-contender in the race for Lugard House but events in the last few weeks is proving cynics wrong. Without the usual retinue of leaders PDP is known for, Dino has been moving round the state galvanizing support of common people on the streets. The response from the streets has been tremendous, to say the least.
Starting with a road walk in Kabba, the passionate crowds that embraced Dino was a surprise. Next was Lokoja the state capital. The warm reception from people on the street was not a surprise. After a break, Dino moved to Kogi East last week, touring the 3 federal constituencies. He slept over in Anyigba and Ankpa in the course of the pre-campaign tours of the senatorial district. The outpouring love from peasants, farmers, fishermen, market women and artisans was so massive.
This week, Dino has tour different communities across 3 local government areas in Yagba federal constituency. The turnout was massive from one community to another. The joy from men and women on the streets was infectious.
The crowds that warmly welcomed Dino’s pre-campaign train were not mobilized. They came out to see the man who has been the voice of the masses in Kogi state. The fearless messenger of the people who can face any challenge and ready to suffer when oppressors come hunting. When they looked at Dino, they see themselves, their fears, aspirations and hope for a better tomorrow. In Dino, they see a fellow common man who will readily stand with them in challenging and difficult times.
Truth is, Dino needs no introduction in any community in Kogi state, and I dare say Nigeria. He is a brand. You may not like him, but you know him. Everybody known what Dino is capable of doing and what he can’t do. They know his strengths and weaknesses. They are not in doubt about his person and can safely predict him. He is not among the candidates the people need brainwashing to vote for, we all know who Dino is and who he is not. He is currently single, we already know that. He talks too much, we know. He is bold, we know. He loves singing, we know that already. He is a lover of good life, he is not hiding that. We also know he is highly intelligent. We also know he has great visions for Kogi state. We also know he is rugged. We also know he is in tune with trends on the street. We also know he is the only governorship candidate that has spent time to develop a detailed blueprint for governance. We also know he is genuinely concerned about the plights of civil servants. We also know he is detribalized. We also know he won’t sideline women and youth as they are his primary constituents. Dino’s life is in the open. He has not hidden any part of his life. We don’t need anyone to educate us, we already know Dino.
The pre-campaign road walks has change perceptions and has altered permutations ahead of November 11 polls. He has proved doubters wrong and has shown strong intent in the quest to lead the state from 2024.
Dino is very much in this race and it won’t be a surprise if he emerge victorious at the end of the day.
– Oladimeji Bamidele writes from Lokoja.
